Handle for instruments



Jan. 5, 1937. w 1 CAMERON 2,066,328

HANDLE FOR INS TRUMENTS Filed Jan. 22, 1935 Patented Jan. 5, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HANDLE FOR INSTRUMENTS William J. Cameron, Chicago, Ill.

Application January 22, 1935, Serial No. 2,963

6 Claims. (01. 128-9) In a prior United States Letters Patent No. movement of the lamp by a single operation by 1,793,463, issued to me February 24th, 1931, I the user, and it also utilizes a common element have disclosed a handle for mounting and supfor performing these functions. porting various types of instruments and illumi- My present invention has numerous other hating the area under inspection. Although the objects in view, among which may be mentioned 5 structure is therein illustrated in combination the provision of a handle of the character dewith optical instruments such as ophthalmoscribed that is dependable in use; may be manipuscopes or retinoscopes, such handle is readily and lated with facility; is novel in construction; is well adapted for and is used in connection with simple in the arrangement or disposition of its 10 nasal and aural specula and other surgical inparts so that it will not readily become inopera- 10 struments as shown, for example, in my United tive; and which is economical to manufacture States Letters Patent No. 1,896,861 of February so that it may be sold to the user for a reasonable 7th, 1933 and No. 1,934,698 of November 14th, retail price. Further objects and advantages 1933. It will be noted, in all these types of inwill be apparent to persons skilled in the art after 15 struments that the lower major portion of the my invention is understood from the following 15 handle, which is the part that is held by the hand description. of the operator, is axially alined with the upper I pref t0 p ct e my invention and to accomportion of the handle that receives or cooperates D i h e u s bj thereof y means of With the particular instrument mounted thereon the structure herein disclosed and which is more -3 and which carries the illuminating bulb. Obparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

viously the operators fingers, surrounding and Reference iS herein made to the accompanying grasping the lower grip portion of the handrawing that forms a part of this specification. dle, will be close to and is often in actual contact In t e dra i 1 with the portion of the patients body which is Figu e 1 s a e a Side elevation of y 35 adjacent the part or tissue being operated upon p v handle Showing a universal instrumentor under examination. This has been found to head mounted'thereon and anasal or aural specube very undesirable and especially with certain lum clamped in said instrument head. types of patients. Figure 2 is a longitudinal axial section of the I have devised the herein disclosed structure ha d t d and instrument being Omitted,

for the purpose of providing a. novel handle, for with the switch elements in closed position and 0 mounting optical, surgical and dental instruthe bulb p j ments, that has the axis of its grip portion dis- Figure 3 i a e i n imil to F 2 sh w posed oblique to the axis of its instrument-mountthe relative positions of the parts when the switch ing portion, and also providing in connection is opened and the bulb retracted.

therewith a novel switch and electric conductor gu 4 s a fragmentary detail, p y in 35 arrangement for controlling the illuminating tio of O e O t e le ic co du t slamp at the'instrument receiving end of the han- Figure 5 S a transverse Section 011 line dle. By this arrangement the operator may grasp o Figure the handle with his hand in any manner conven- The drawing is schematic for the purpose of 40 ient to himself and then use the instrument withdisclosing a typical or preferred embodiment of 40 out touching the patients body near the part being my improved handle Structure, and in S d a inspected. ing like reference characters are used in the dif- Because of the fact that the axis of the hollow ferent views to designate like parts wherever they shell of the handle is irregular or angular in appear.

shape, being formed with two oblique portions, By reference to Figure 1, it will be seen the 45 and also because it is desirable to retract the handle is a terete or is cylindrical in transverse lamp or bulb, into the instrument receiving end section, the lower or major portion 5 of which of the handle, I have designed a novel switch is of a length Sufil t to provide a ready grasp mechanism and novel arrangement of conducwhen taken in the hand by the user, and it is v tors within the shell that insures efiective perhollow in order to provide a housing for electric formance of the functions required of these parts conductors and the elements of an electric switch.

and permits the installation of such parts within The upper end portion 6 is also a terete or is cylinthe restricted space inside the handle shell. Such drical in transverse section and has its axis disconstruction and arrangement permits the siposed oblique to the axis of the lower major pormultane'ous operation of the switch and the tion 5 as seen in the different views. This upper end portion 6 is hollow, so that it forms an oblique continuation of the lower portion. The interior of the upper portion of the handle provides a guide for a slidable electric socket 1 that carries a light bulb 8 which may be retracted into the end of the handle or may be projected beyond the latter by reciprocating a slide 9 on the exterior of the handle by the operators thumb. These two portions of the handle are made from insulating material, and are preferably a molded hard rubber or a molded phenolic condensation product so that one continuous or unitary hollow piece is provided.

The means for mounting an instrument on the handle is in the form of a universal head consisting of a short tubular base or band l that is telescoped upon the upper end 6 and is removably secured in position by means of a pin I and bayonet slot l2, and, at one side of the axis of the tubular base there is a split band or ring l3 that surrounds the adjacent cylindrical-shaped end portion of the instrument. The adjacent ends of the band or ring terminate in lateral ears l4 that are moved towards and from each other by means of a rotatable cam block l5 that is positioned between them and is actuated by a laterally and radially projecting lever IS.

The split band or ring is of sufficient dimensions to readily receive the cylindrical-shaped rear flange or sleeve portion ll of a speculum H3, and when the cam I5 is rotated this band will become constricted around the sleeve and will firmly hold the speculum, tool or other instrument in position. When an optical instrument such as an ophthalmoscope, retinoscope, etc., is used with the handle the tubular base 0 may be made as a part of such instrument and the clamping band is not needed and the lamp is of a diiferent pattern.

The lamp socket 1 is a metal shell of a diameter to slidingly fit into the upper end portion 6 of the handle and an insulating block |9 is secured in its inner end through which a centrally disposed electric terminal passes. At its inner end this terminal is connected to the adjacent end of a flexible hollow conductor 2| that is made from a spirally coiled or wound wire, shown in detail in Figure 4, which wire coil is surrounded by a flexible protecting sheath 22 of suitable insulating material. The end of the flexible conductor 2| that is remote from the block I9 is attached (preferably by soldering or brazing) to a stiff rod 23 of conducting metal that enters and slides in a small tube 24 also of conducting metal.

An electric terminal wire 25 passes through and projects from both sides of an insulating disklike block 26 mounted within the handle member 5 back of the lower end of the latter, the inwardly projecting portion of the terminal being given a shouldered or S-shaped oil-set bend 29 and secured to the adjacent lower end of the conductor tube 24. This terminal wire 25 is stiff and tightly fits the disk-like block 26 so that a solid mounting is provided for the stationary tubular conductor 24.

A second terminal wire 28 passes through the block 26 with its longer portion disposed within the handle member 5 and having its outer portion projecting into the space between the outer face of the block and the adjacent end of the handle member 5. Thus a suitable electric connector socket is provided at the lower end of the handle for making electric connection through the medium of an electric plug element 29 with a source of current supply. Within the handle and back of the block 26 there is a break formed in said wire 28 by giving it a hump-shaped bend 30, while beyond this bend the wire 28 extends up wardly to near the center of length of the handle grip member 5 so that it is disposed adjacent and parallel with the wall of the handle member to provide a straight contact element 3| that cooperates with a movable member of the switch.

The slide 9 hereinbefore mentioned is positioned over an elongated slot 32 in the wall of the handle so that the slide may be moved longitudinally on the handle within the limits of said slot and such movement is controlled by a lug 33 extending from the slide through the slot to a fiat metal strip 34. The slide 9 and the lateral lug 33 that engages in the guide-slot are pref erably formed integrally from a piece of insulating material such as hard rubber or a phenolic condensation product. Connection is made b tween the slide and the strip by a screw 35 the head of which is screwed in below the surface of the slide and then covered with insulating material, while its shank enters a threaded boss on strip 34.

The bar 34 is one of the elements of an articulated conductor, and at its lower end the bar is curved inwardly as at 36 towards the axis of the handle to slidably engage the contact element 3| above mentioned. As shown in Fig. 5, the curved end portion 36 of the bar is formed concavo-convex so that the portion thereof that engages and slides on the contact 3| will partly surround the latter and insure positive electrical engagement therewith whenever the switch is in an on position and the circuit closed.

The other or upper end of the bar 34 is flexibly and movably connected with a short conductor link or bar 31 by an articulation in the form of a hinge 38, and said short conductor link or bar 31 is likewise flexibly and movably connected by an articulation or hinge 39 with the shell of the lamp socket 1. The terminal wire 28 including the straight contact element 3|, the long bar 34, the short link bar 31, and the hinged articulations 38 and 39 are fabricated from suitable metal capable of effectively conducting electric current. In order to positively insure conduction of current a flexible jump" wire 40 is preferably connected at its ends respectively to the socket shell 1 and the short link bar 31. The other side of this circuit through the lamp is formed by the central lamp socket terminal 20, the flexible conductor 2|, the rod 23 slidably telescoping with the tubular conductor 24 and the lower terminal 25.

When the parts of the structure are in the relative positions shown in Figure 2 the circuit is closed through the lamp 8 and the latter is illuminated and is protruding from the end 01 the handle. Upon moving the slide-piece 9 downwardly on the handle to the other end of slot 32, the curved end 36 of conductor bar 34 (which had previously engaged the straight portion 3| of the conductor terminal 28) will be moved oil! said straight portion and will be positioned free in the space alongside the bend 30, thus breaking contact and opening the circuit, as illustrated in Figure 3. In this latter position 01' the elements the circuit is broken and the lamp is extinguished and will be retracted into the adjacent end of the handle. On account of the articulations 33 and 39 as well as the flexibility of the spiral conductor 2| and the telescopic coaction between rod 23 and the tube 24, these composite conductors that form the circuit from the connector terminals 25 and 28 through the socket shell and lamp, are readily moved longitudinally in the hollow handle 56 and around the angle formed at the juncture between the two obliquely disposed portions of the handle.

It will be noted the lamp will remain lit, although being retracted into the handle, until such time as the bowed end portion 36 of the movable conductor strip is moved out of contact with its coacting contact element 3| and has been disposed free in the recess formed by the bend 30 in said contact element. This permits the lamp to be moved to a position where it will not interfere with instruments inserted in the speculum to operate upon the tissue and will continue to illuminate the cavity during the performance of the operation, and will also permit up and down movement of the lamp with relation to an ophthalmoscope or retinoscope for the purpose of focusing the light with respect to the optical elements of such instruments.

What I claim is:-

1. An illuminating handle for instruments comprising a hollow body portion and a hollow extension at one end thereof, the longitudinal axis of said extension portion intersecting the longitudinal axis of said body portion, a lamp and socket reciprocably mounted in said extension end portion, a pair of terminals at the other end of said body, means within said body for forming one side of an electric circuit through said socket and lamp consisting of a telescopic rod and tube extending between said socket and one of said terminals and disposed within said body, means for forming the other side of the electric circuit consisting of a spiral conductor and a mobile conductor structure extending between said socket and the other of said terminals, and a device cooperating with one of said circuit-forming means, which device is movable to a position to separate certain elements of said circuit-forming means to break the circuit.

2. A device of the kind described comprising a hollow body having an oblique end portion, a socket and lamp mounted for reciprocal movement in said oblique portion, a pair of terminals at the other end of said body, a conductor forming electrical connection between said socket and one of said terminals, an extension on the other terminal, a plurality of articulated mobile conductor elements one of which is secured to said socket and the other of which is adapted for slidable contact with the terminal extension, and a slide connected to one of said articulated elements for moving said elements and said socket longitudinally in the respective portions of said body, whereby the contacting conductor element is adapted to be moved to a non-contacting position with respect to its terminal.

which is secured to said socket, and a slide con nected to one of said articulated elements for moving said elements and said socket longitudinally in the respective portions of said body, one of said articulated elements slidably contacting said terminal extension and adapted to be moved by said slide to a position where its contact forming portion is out of engagement with its terminal at said off-set portion.

4. An illuminating handle for instruments comprising a hollow body portion, a hollow extension portion at one end thereof with its longitudinal axis intersecting the longitudinal axis of said body portion, a lamp and socket reciprocably mounted in said extension portion, a pair of terminals in the other end of said handle, a conductor electrically connecting said socket and one of said terminals and having a flexible portion extending through the angle formed by said body and extension, a movable finger engaging member accessible from the outside of said handle, an articulated conductor operatively connecting said finger member to said socket, said last-named conductor having a portion movably contacting the other terminal, said last-named terminal having a laterally off-set gap into which the contactable portion of the coacting conductor is moved by said slide to break the circuit to the socket.

5. An illuminating handle for instruments comprising a hollow body portion and a hollow extension portion at one end thereof, the longitudinal axis of said extension intersecting the longitudinal axis of said body portion, a reciprocable socket and lamp movable longitudinally in said extension, spaced terminals at the other end of said handle, a conductor electrically connecting one of said terminals to said socket, a conductor slidably engageable at one end with the other terminal and connected at its other end extension portion at one end thereof, the longitudinal axis of said extension intersecting the longitudinal axis of said body portion, a socket and lamp reciprocably mounted in said extension portion, a. pair of terminals at the other end of said body, means forming electrical connection between said socket and one of said terminals, a conductor connected to and extending from said socket, a second conductor extending from the first conductor into sliding contact with the other terminal in circuit-forming position, a pivotal connection between the proximate ends of said conductors permitting movement of the last said conductors past the angle formed by the body and its extension end, and means for moving the second conductor out of engagement with its terminal whereby the circuit is broken and said socket is retracted in the extension end portion of said body.

WILLIAM J. CAMERON. 

